How to Dye Easter Eggs With Flowers
For thousands of years, springtime celebrations have played an important role in people’s lives. Dying eggs to welcome the season change is believed to date back to pagan times. Back then, people used flower petals for dyes, and then exchanged colored eggs as gifts to celebrate the rebirth of spring. Dyed eggs still signify all the good things the new season has in store for us. So, what is a better partner for Easter eggs than spring’s other favorite – flowers! Not only can you dye Easter eggs with flowers to naturally achieve subtle earthy colors, but they are also perfect for making delicate floral prints on your Easter eggs.
Although many people today use store-bought, artificial dyes to color eggs, a great source of natural dyes is your own backyard (or grocery store, or bouquet that is starting to wilt). Roots, vegetables, and flowers are just a few common natural ways to get a rainbow of colors. The hues that you can achieve using the simplest of ingredients is always so surprising! Flower petals and soft herbs like parsley, dill, rosemary, mint, or even the green tops off of strawberries can also make beautiful prints on the eggs. The more delicate the details on the leaf or bloom, the more beautiful your Easter eggs will turn out. Here’s how to do it.
Natural Egg Dye Recipe
What you need:
– Hard boiled eggs
– Water
– Vinegar (to make the colors brighter)
– Flowers, leaves, or herbs
– Nude pantyhose
– Small elastic or twist ties
– Plant material of choice for the egg dye:
These go-to materials always yield fantastic results:
- Onion skins: yellow onions for orange, red for reddish-purple
- Red cabbage: blue
- Turmeric: yellow
- Lavender flowers: blue-green & brown
- Violet flowers: green
The best part of these is that you can find them most anywhere. Lavender and violets are probably lurking in any flower arrangement or bouquet you got recently. If you’ve got more fruit and veggies than you can eat, use them to dye your eggs! Also, it’s a fun way to clean out the fridge, and it might entice the kids to help!
How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally In 4 Simple Steps
STEP 1. First, prepare the egg. Take the pantyhose and cut a piece large enough so that it fully wraps around the egg with some to spare. Then, lay a fresh flower petal or herb face down on the egg. Next, wrap the pantyhose around the egg tightly, making sure everything is in place. Finally, secure it with a small elastic or twist tie by the base of the egg so it fits snug. Trim off the excess hose.
STEP 2. Next, prepare the dyes in separate medium saucepans. You’ll need:
- 8 cups of cold water for 2 cups of onion skins,
- 6 cups of cold water for 3 cups of shredded red cabbage,
- 3 cups of water for 4 tbs turmeric, or
- 3 cups of water for 8 tbs lavender flowers or violet flowers.
Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Then, let your dyes cool a bit. Strain the dyed water into separate containers, big enough to hold a few eggs. Next, drop 3-4 tablespoons of vinegar into each container. If you’re using something we haven’t listed, the goal is for your water to look a few shades darker than what you want your egg. When in doubt, use less water. That way, you can always add more later to dilute the dye.
STEP 3. Add hard boiled eggs to the dye bath. Then leave them in the refrigerator until they acquire the desired hue. Remember, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours for more vibrant colors. If you’re adventurous, you can even create two-tone eggs. To do that, first place them in one dye for at least an hour. Then take them out, unwrap, and put the eggs in the other color. Keep in mind, they’ll need an hour or longer in the second bath.
STEP 4. Once the eggs are done soaking, take them out, and let them air dry. When they’re dry, remove the pantyhose and peel off the flower petal or herbs. Put the finishing touch on by patting your Easter eggs dry and rubbing them with a little oil for shine.
Dyeing Easter eggs at home is always a fun activity that both kids and adults can enjoy. Besides, there are so many things you can actually do with your DIY creations! You can put them in your Easter basket and give away as a gift, place them around your house for decoration, arrange with some other greens and lace to make a pretty centerpiece, or even create Easter egg cups.
Easter Egg Cups
One fun way to use and reuse your naturally dyed Easter eggs is to convert them into unique mini-vases for spring blooms. Dyed eggs and flowers are springtime favorites for a good reason!. To do this start with a raw egg. Poke holes in both ends of the egg, and, blow the egg out of its shell.
Next, use nail scissors to snip out an opening at the top of the shell until it is the size you want. After that, dye your egg cups as described above (or not), and fill them with whatever flowers tickle your fancy. The kinds of flowers that look best are ones with small heads and narrow stems, like alstroemeria, miniature roses, daffodil, tulips, and similar flowers.
Because dyed eggs are so colorful, you can mix up flowers that have small to medium blooms in a variety of hues. Pop your Easter egg cup into a cute egg holder and you have a stylish seasonal vase to decorate your home for spring.
As you can imagine, this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of herbs and flowers with which you could experiment when dying Easter eggs at home. Use your creativity and you will end up having beautiful one of a kind Easter eggs, that will be a keeper not only for this season but many more to come!
You’ve got your eggs ready, now what?
– Want to learn more about Easter? Read about Catholic vs Orthodox Easter Traditions 101.
– Send last minute Easter flowers & gifts to your nearest and dearest.
– Teach your friends how to dye Easter eggs naturally by sharing this article.
